Method of processing semiconductor material wafers and method of forming flip chips and semiconductor chips

ABSTRACT

A method of processing a semiconductive material wafer includes, a) providing a semiconductive material wafer having integrated circuitry fabricated within discrete die areas on the wafer, the discrete die areas having bond pads formed therewithin; b) cutting at least partially into the semiconductive material wafer about the die areas to form a series of die cuts, the cuts having edges; c) depositing an insulative material over the wafer and to within the cuts to at least partially cover the cut edges and to at least partially fill the cuts with the insulative material; d) removing the insulative material from being received over the bond pads and leaving the insulative material within the die cuts; and e) after the removing, cutting into and through the insulative material within the die cuts and through the wafer. A semiconductor chip includes an outer surface having conductive bond pads proximately associated therewith. Side edges extend from the outer surface. An insulating material layer is adhered to at least a portion of the side edges and not formed over the bond pads. The insulative material layer can be continuous and adhered to only a portion of the outer surface and adhered to at least a portion of the side edges. The insulative material preferably has a thickness of between 100 Angstroms and 100 microns.

RELATED PATENT DATA

This patent resulted from a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/917,004, filed Aug. 20, 1997 entitled "Method Of Processing Semiconductive Material Wafers And Method Of Forming Flip Chips And Semiconductor Chips", naming Ross S. Dando as inventor, and which is now U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,813 the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to methods of processing semiconductive material wafers, to methods of forming flip chips, and to semiconductor chips, and to such products themselves independent of processing method.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most semiconductor wafer processing fabricates multiple different areas on a wafer into identical circuitry which are subsequently cut from the wafer into individual chips or die. These are then fabricated into finished packages. One technique for cutting or singulating a wafer into individual die includes mechanical cutting with a diamond cutting wheel. One technique for holding the wafer during cutting includes use of a circular metal ring which is larger than the wafer being cut. A thin film, commonly referred to as cutting film or tape, is tightly spread over and across the metal ring. One side of the tape is provided to be tacky while the opposing side is not. The tacky side is adhered to the ring. A surface of the wafer is substantially centrally positioned relative to the ring and adhered to the tacky side of the tape. With the wafer so adhered, the metal ring is positioned relative to a cutting device which orients the ring and cuts the wafers along designated scribe lines or street areas on the wafer, where circuitry has typically not been fabricated, for separating the wafer into individual die.

The cut individual die remain attached to the tape due to the stickiness of the tape. Vacuum-type pick-and-place devices then engage individual selected die to pull such from the tape for positioning onto lead frames or other devices for incorporation into finished product. Testing of the individual die for operability is typically conducted prior to the cutting operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a method of processing a semiconductive material wafer includes first cutting a cut at least partially into a semiconductive material wafer, with the cut having edges. An insulating material is formed over at least a portion of the edges within the cut. Second cutting within the cut and through the wafer is then conducted. Ideally, such forms individual die which have at least a portion of their individual side edges covered with insulating material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the following accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a top view of a semiconductor wafer at one processing step in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the FIG. 1 wafer at a processing step subsequent to that depicted by FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the FIG. 1 wafer at a processing step subsequent to that depicted by FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the FIG. 1 wafer at an alternate processing step subsequent to that depicted by FIG. 2 and corresponding in sequence to that of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view of the FIG. 3 wafer at a processing step subsequent to that depicted by FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a view of the FIG. 4 wafer at an alternate processing step corresponding in sequence to that of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view of the FIG. 3 wafer at a processing step subsequent to that depicted by FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a view of the FIG. 4 wafer at a processing step subsequent to that depicted by FIG. 6 corresponding in sequence to that of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of an alternate embodiment semiconductor wafer fragment processed in accordance with alternate aspects of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a view of the FIG. 9 wafer at a processing step subsequent to that depicted by FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a view of the FIG. 9 wafer at a processing step subsequent to that depicted by FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a view of the FIG. 9 wafer at a processing step subsequent to that depicted by FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a view of the FIG. 9 wafer at a processing step subsequent to that depicted by FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of yet another alternate embodiment wafer fragment at another alternate processing step in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 15 is a view of the FIG. 14 wafer at a processing step subsequent to that shown by FIG. 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

This disclosure of the invention is submitted in furtherance of the constitutional purposes of the U.S. Patent Laws "to promote the progress of science and useful arts" (Article 1, Section 8).

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a semiconductor wafer 10 in process. A circular metal carrier or process ring 12 has an adhesive cutting film 14 stretched thereacross and adhered to the underside thereof. Adhesive film 14 has an adhesive side 13 which faces the reader and a non-adhesive side 15 on the opposite side thereof. An example tape or cutting film is Nitto Denko High Tack Tape V-8-5. Wafer 10 is centrally positioned or located onto tape or film 14 for cutting. FIG. 1 illustrates but one embodiment of how a wafer 10 can be configured for singulation into individual die.

Semiconductive material wafer 10 has been fabricated into discrete die areas 20 having integrated circuitry fabricated therewithin. Such inherently forms or defines street area or scribe lines 22 where circuitry has typically not been formed and where cutting will occur to achieve singulation into individual die. Wafer 10 typically comprises an outermost passivation layer defining an outer insulating surface 24. Bond pads 26 are exposed through the passivation layer for making electrical connection between the resultant chip and circuitry or components external of the chip. Accordingly, bond pads 26 are formed within die areas 20 and are proximately associated with wafer outer surface 24. Bond pads 26 typically are received inwardly 0.8 micron from outer surface 24.

In the illustrated embodiment, wafer 10 will be singulated into individual die constituting flip chips. Accordingly, bond pads 26 have conductive material 28 in the form of bumps formed thereover by any conventional bumping or other technique. An exemplary projection distance of the outermost portion of bumps 28 from surface 24 is from 4 to 6 mils.

The description proceeds with exemplary alternate processing of wafer 10, wherein FIGS. 3, 5 and 7 constitute but one processing sequence and FIGS. 4, 6, and 8 constitute an alternate processing sequence. Like numerals in the component numbering of the two series are utilized, with the suffix "a" or different numerals being utilized in the second FIGS. 4, 6 and 8 series to designate differences.

Referring to FIG. 3, first cutting of wafer 10 on film 14 is conducted through outer surface 24 about die areas 20 over scribe lines 22 and only partially into wafer 10 to form a series of die cuts 30. An exemplary depth for cuts 30 is less than or equal to about 50% of the wafer thickness. Such forms cut edges 32 extending from outer surface 24. An example method of cutting is mechanical sawing, such as using a saw blade 36, to provide die cuts 30 to have common first cut widths 34 corresponding to the thickness of saw blade 36. An example thickness 34 is 4 mils. Alternate techniques for forming cuts 30 could also be used, such as laser cutting or etching.

FIG. 4 illustrates one alternate processing wherein cuts 30a are formed entirely through wafer 10a, forming side edges 32a.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, insulating material 38 is formed over at least a portion of edges 32/32a within cuts 30/30a. An example material is polyimide. As shown, such insulating material covers all of cut edges 32/32a within cuts 30/30a, and insulating material 38 completely fills and overfills cuts 30/30a. The overfilling also forms insulating material 38 over portions of die area outer surfaces 24, such as the illustrated portions 39. Thus, insulating material 38 is adhered to at least a portion of side edges 32/32a yet is not formed over bond pads 26. Insulating material 38 is accordingly ideally continuous in extension over those portions of side edges 32/32a to which it adheres and portion 39 of outer surface 24 to which it adheres. An exemplary distance for insulative material 38 to project from outer surface 24 is 0.5 mil. This is also ideally less than the distance which bumps 28 project to avoid any interference in subsequent bonding of the discrete flip chips to other substrates.

One method of forming or applying insulating material 38 is by ejection from a syringe, such as the illustrated syringe 40, into the respective cuts to totally fill such cuts with insulating material. Alternate techniques could of course be utilized, with but one such technique being described subsequently. With the syringe or other preferred techniques, the insulating material layer forming occurs while wafer 10 is adhered to adhesive cutting film 14.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, another cutting is conducted into insulating material 38 within first cuts 30/30a and through the thickness of wafer 10 to form second cuts 42/42a. Second cuts 42/42a have different widths from the first cut widths, with the first cut widths preferably being at least three times as great as the second cut widths. As with the first described cutting, an example technique is mechanical sawing using a second saw blade 37 of different thickness than the first saw blade, with an example being 1.2 mils. Accordingly in such embodiment, all of the cutting and forming of insulating material occurs while wafer 10 is adhered to a single adhesive cutting film 14. In the FIG. 7 embodiment, the second cutting also cuts through semiconductive material of wafer 10 through the bases of first cuts 30/30a. In FIG. 8 where first cuts 30a extend entirely through wafer 10 and the second cut is to a second thinner width than first cut in between edges 32a, such second cutting does not cut through any semiconductive material of wafer 10.

The second cuts preferably leave a thickness of insulating material 38 over cut edges 32/32a of between about 100 Angstroms and 100 microns. More preferably, such thickness is between about 10 microns and 100 microns, with 25 microns being a specific example. Accordingly, such insulating material 38 is provided to be adhered over only a portion of outer insulating surface 24 and adhered to at least a portion of side edges 32/32a, and preferably over all of such side edges.

Alternate exemplary processing is described with reference to FIGS. 9-11. Like numerals from the first described embodiments are utilized where appropriate, with the differences being indicated by the suffix "b", or with different numerals. Referring to FIG. 9, a wafer 10b is adhered to an adhesive film carrier 14b for cutting. Wafer 10b and film 14b can be the same as that described with respect to the first embodiments. Cuts 50, preferably corresponding to those of cuts 30a of the first embodiments, are formed partially into wafer 10b. Such form cut side edges 52.

Referring to FIG. 10, wafer 10b is removed from adhesive film 14b. An insulative material 38b is then deposited over outer surface 24 of wafer 10b and to within cuts 50 to at least partially cover cut edges 52 and to only partially fill such cuts with insulative material. Thus in this particular embodiment, formation of an insulating material over at least a portion of the cut edges occurs while the wafer is not adhered to any adhesive cutting film.

Referring to FIG. 11, insulative material 38b is removed from being received over bond pads 26 while leaving insulative material within die cuts 50. Ideally as shown, the removing leaves some insulating material 38b over die area outer surfaces 24, such as portions of 39b as shown. A preferred method for producing the FIG. 11 removal is by photopatterning and etching. A polishing process might also be utilized, but would most likely not in such instance leave any insulating material remaining over die area outer surfaces 24.

Referring to FIG. 12, the FIG. 11 wafer has been bumped with conductive material as in the first described embodiment for the exemplary ultimate forming of flip chips.

Referring to FIG. 13, wafer 10b is again adhered to another or same adhesive cutting film 14b. Thereafter, cutting is conducted into and through insulative material 38b within die cuts 50 and through wafer 10b. Again, the preferred cutting methods are to utilize two saws of different thicknesses, with the first cut being at least three times as wide as the second.

Yet another alternate embodiment is described with reference to FIGS. 14-15. Like numerals from the first described embodiments are utilized where appropriate, with differences being indicated by the suffix "c" or with different numerals. A wafer 10c is adhered to a stretchable adhesive cutting film 14c. Many cutting films, such as the Nitto Denko High Tack Tape V-8-5 example tape, are stretchable. Wafer 10c is subjected to cutting on film 14c into spaced individual die 60 having cuts 30c, with cut edges 32c, formed therebetween. The cuts to form 30c can desirably be conducted with a thinner blade than that described with respect to the other embodiments, such as for example with a desired finish cutting thickness blade of 1.2 mils. Such will provide a first average spacing of cuts 30c which can be the same, or even less than, the final cut.

Referring to FIG. 15, adhesive film 14c is stretched to space the illustrated die further apart from one another to a second average spacing 62 which is greater than the spacing provided by cuts 30c. The second spacing relationship relative to the first spacing relationship is analogous with that described with respect to the above embodiments. Namely, the spacing in FIG. 15 is preferably at least three times as great as the desired finish cut width.

Processing would continue for example as described with respect to the previous embodiments, whereby second spaces 62 would be at least partially filled with insulative material effective to cover at least some portion of cut die edges 32c. Subsequently, cutting would be conducted into and through such formed insulating material between adjacent die to form singulated die on film 14c. This final cutting could utilize a saw the same width as the saw used for the FIG. 14 cutting, or utilizing a saw of a different width.

It is recognized that native oxide forms on the edges of chips or die of the prior art. However, such is understood to be to a thickness of no greater than 20 Angstroms, and certainly well less than the lower 100 Angstroms limitation in some of the accompanying claims.

In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural and methodical features. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown and described, since the means herein disclosed comprise preferred forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents. 

I claim:
 1. A method of processing a semiconductor wafer comprising:providing a semiconductor wafer having a thickness which is defined between a pair of outwardly-facing surfaces; first removing material of the semiconductor wafer sufficient to define an intermediate wafer surface within the wafer; forming an insulative material over the intermediate wafer surface to a thickness of greater than 100 Angstrom; and second removing material of both the insulative material and the semiconductor wafer sufficiently through the entire thickness of the semiconductor wafer.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate wafer surface is generally planar and generally parallel with at least one of the outwardly-facing surfaces.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate wafer surface is generally planar and generally parallel with both of the outwardly-facing surfaces.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first removing comprises cutting the wafer.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first removing comprises cutting the wafer with a saw blade.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second removing comprises cutting the wafer with a saw blade.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming of the insulative material comprises forming said material with a syringe.
 8. A method of processing a semiconductor wafer comprising:providing a semiconductor wafer having an outer surface; cutting into the semiconductor wafer in a direction to form a first cut having a first cut width; and cutting into the semiconductor wafer in said direction and within said first cut to form a second cut having a second cut width which is less than the first cut width.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein said direction is away from the outer surface of the semiconductor wafer.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein said direction is orthogonally away from the outer surface of the semiconductor wafer.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the cutting to form the second cut, cuts entirely through the semiconductor wafer.
 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the cutting to form at least one of the first and second cuts comprises using a saw blade to cut the semiconductor wafer.
 13. The method of claim 8, wherein the cutting to form both the first and second cuts comprises using a saw blade to cut the semiconductor wafer.
 14. A method of processing a semiconductor wafer comprising:providing a semiconductor wafer; first cutting into the semiconductor wafer to form a first cut having a first cut width; forming insulative material within the first cut; and second cutting into the semiconductor wafer to form a second cut having a second cut width which is less than the first cut width.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the forming of the insulative material comprises completely filling the first cut.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the forming of the insulative material comprises less than completely filling the first cut.
 17. A method of processing a semiconductor wafer comprising:providing a semiconductor wafer; first cutting into the semiconductor wafer to form a first cut; depositing insulative material over the wafer and within the first cut; patterning away some of the insulative material but leaving other of the insulative material within the first cut; and second cutting into the semiconductor wafer through the first cut, said second cutting removing material of the insulative material within the first cut.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second cutting comprises cutting entirely through the wafer.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the depositing of the insulative material comprises less than filling the first cut with insulative material.
 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first cut has a first cut width, and wherein the second cutting comprises forming a second cut width which is different from the first cut width.
 21. The method of claim 17, wherein the first cut has a first cut width, and wherein the second cutting comprises forming a second cut width which is less than the first cut width.
 22. A method of processing a semiconductor wafer comprising:providing a semiconductor wafer; first removing material of the semiconductor wafer; replacing at least some removed material with another material which is provided through a syringe; and second removing additional material of the semiconductor wafer and at least some of the material which replaced the first removed material.
 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the second removing comprises removing said material completely through the wafer.
 24. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one of the first and second removings comprises using a saw blade to remove wafer material.
 25. The method of claim 22, wherein both of the first and second removings comprise using a saw blade to remove wafer material.
 26. The method of claim 22, wherein the first removing defines an area within the wafer having a first width, and the second removing defines an area within the wafer having a second width which is different from the first width.
 27. The method of claim 22, wherein the first removing defines an area within the wafer having a first width, and the second removing defines an area within the wafer having a second width which is less than the first width.
 28. A method of processing a semiconductor wafer comprising:providing a semiconductor wafer; first removing material of the semiconductor wafer entirely through the wafer to define an area from where material was removed; forming insulative material with the area; and second removing at least some of the insulative material entirely through the insulative material.
 29. The method of claim 28, wherein forming of the insulative material comprises filling the entire area with insulative material.
 30. A method of processing a semiconductor wafer comprising:mounting a semiconductor wafer on a stretchable film; dicing the wafer into individual die; stretching the film with the individual die thereon; forming insulative material between the individual die; and singulating the individual die by removing portions of the insulative material formed therebetween.
 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the forming of the insulative material comprises forming said material while the film is stretched. 